When Windows 10 Extended Security Updates End: Your Options

If you are trying to work out when Windows 10 extended security updates end, the short answer is that it depends on who you are. For home users, Microsoft’s consumer ESU page, as checked on 14 October 2026, gives 12 October 2027 as the end of the program. For businesses and schools, paid ESU can run for up to three years after Windows 10’s end of support. Either way, ESU is a bridge, not a destination, and the sooner you plan the move off Windows 10, the less you will be rushed.

This page explains the dates as Microsoft currently publishes them, what ESU does and does not cover, and the realistic options for a Windows 10 PC.

The dates, as Microsoft publishes them today

Date	What happens
14 October 2025	Windows 10 end of support. No more free security updates, feature updates or technical assistance.
12 October 2027	End of the consumer ESU program, according to Microsoft’s consumer ESU page.
Up to three years after end of support	Maximum ESU coverage for commercial and educational organisations.

A note on 13 October 2026: earlier guidance, including some pages on this site, gave that date as the end of consumer ESU. Microsoft’s consumer ESU page and its Windows 10 end of support article now both say consumer ESU protects a Windows 10 device until 12 October 2027, and that coverage continues automatically through that date once you are enrolled. If you are reading this in the future, check those two Microsoft pages linked in our sources, because they are where any further change would appear first.

Microsoft also notes that enrollment options and timing can vary by region, such as in the European Economic Area.

What ESU covers, and what it does not

ESU keeps delivering critical and important security updates to Windows 10, version 22H2. That is all it does. According to Microsoft, ESU does not include:

• New features
• Non-security fixes you request
• Design changes
• General technical support (support is limited to problems with ESU itself, such as activation or installation)

So an enrolled PC stays patched against newly found security holes, but it does not get better, and newer apps and drivers may gradually drop Windows 10 support regardless.

Consumer ESU: who can enroll and how

To use the consumer program, a PC must run Windows 10 version 22H2 in the Home, Pro, Pro Education or Pro for Workstations edition. Microsoft says the consumer program cannot be used in commercial scenarios.

Microsoft lists three ways to enroll:

1. At no additional cost, if you sync your PC settings with a Microsoft account.
2. By redeeming Microsoft Rewards points.
3. With a one-time purchase (the price is shown in local currency on Microsoft’s page).

On an eligible PC, enrollment is offered in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Microsoft’s consumer ESU page walks through the steps and the current requirements. It also says you can enroll at any time until the program ends on 12 October 2027, so a PC that missed the first year is not shut out.

ESU for businesses and schools

Organisations have a separate, paid program. Per Microsoft Learn, commercial and educational organisations buy Windows 10 ESU through volume licensing, by the year (partial years are not sold, and later years include the earlier ones), for a maximum of three years after end of support. Windows 10 virtual machines in some Microsoft cloud services, such as Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop, get ESU at no additional cost. If you manage PCs for a company, talk to whoever handles your Microsoft licensing rather than enrolling machines in the consumer program.

Your options for a Windows 10 PC

Upgrade it to Windows 11 for free

If the PC runs Windows 10 version 22H2 and meets the Windows 11 minimum requirements, the upgrade is free and keeps your files and apps. The requirements are a supported 64-bit processor with 2 or more cores at 1 GHz or faster, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI with Secure Boot capability, TPM 2.0, DirectX 12 graphics with a WDDM 2.0 driver, and a 720p display.

Our guide to upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11 covers the Windows Update and Installation Assistant routes step by step.

Check eligibility with PC Health Check

Not sure whether the PC qualifies? Install the PC Health Check app and select Check now. It lists each requirement with a pass or fail. TPM and Secure Boot failures are often just settings switched off in the firmware; see the Windows 11 TPM requirement for how to check. An unsupported processor cannot be fixed with a setting. To see exactly what is inside the machine, use our guide to checking PC specs.

Replace the PC

If the processor is not supported, ESU buys you time to choose a replacement without panic. Our Windows 11 buying guide explains what to look for. Move your files with OneDrive or an external drive, and make sure you can sign in to your important accounts on the new machine before retiring the old one.

Keep using Windows 10 unprotected

You can, but understand the trade. Microsoft is clear that Windows 10 PCs keep working without ESU; they just stop receiving security updates. Every month without patches leaves known holes open, and the risk is highest for the things most people do every day: browsing, email, downloads and online banking. If you must keep an unsupported PC, limit it to offline tasks, keep your browser and antivirus updated for as long as they support Windows 10, and do not use it for sensitive accounts.

What about Microsoft 365 on Windows 10?

Microsoft’s end of support article says Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 continue to get security updates until 10 October 2028, but are no longer supported on Windows 10. Office 2016 and Office 2019 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Getting security fixes for Office does not protect Windows itself, so this does not replace ESU or an upgrade.

Plan your move now

Whatever date applies to you, the practical steps are the same:

1. Back up your files.
2. Run PC Health Check.
3. If the PC is eligible, upgrade through Windows Update and follow the Windows 11 upgrade hub.
4. If it is not, enroll in ESU and use that time to pick a replacement.

Moving early gives you time to fix driver or app issues calmly, rather than in the week before protection runs out.